July 26 (Bloomberg) -- Jonathan Vilma, the New Orleans
Saints linebacker fighting a full-season suspension from the
National Football League, told a U.S. judge he never offered or
received money for inflicting extra-violent hits on opponents.

The NFL in May banned Vilma from participating in the
coming football season for his role in what has been called the
Saints’ “bounty” program. Three other players, two of whom now
play for other teams, received shorter suspensions.

Vilma sued NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for defamation
and filed a separate action against the 32-team league seeking
to undo his ban. An eight-year NFL veteran, Vilma was a first-round draft pick by the New York Jets in 2004.

“There was not a bounty program,” he told U.S. District
Judge Helen G. Berrigan at a hearing today in New Orleans.
“I’ve never offered money to hurt another player -- not with
the Saints, not with the Jets, not in my whole career.”

The National Football League Players Association has sued
to overturn the punishments of players Scott Fujita, Anthony
Hargrove and Will Smith.

Gregg H. Levy, a lawyer for the New York-based NFL, told
Berrigan today that the collective bargaining agreement between
the players union and the league gives Goodell exclusive
authority to deal with “conduct detrimental to the integrity of
the game.”

‘Due Respect’

“This is the process to which the players agreed,” Levy
said, referring to the players’ association. “They agreed the
commissioner would maintain public confidence in the integrity
of the game. Mr. Vilma may not like that bargain. That’s not for
him -- and with all due respect -- it’s not for this court to
decide. His motion should be denied.”

The judge didn’t issue a ruling. She asked lawyers for both
sides to submit more arguments by Aug. 3.

Saints coach Sean Payton was suspended for the year over
the bounty allegations, while the the team’s former defensive
coordinator, Gregg Williams, now a member of the St. Louis Rams
organization, was banned indefinitely. The league said about two
dozen Saints players, led by Williams, paid each other as much
as $1,500 for targeting opponents such as Super Bowl-winning
quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Brett Favre from 2009 to 2011.

Defensive Coordinator

“He hated penalties,” the linebacker said. “He said
never cross the line and never hurt the team.”

Still, Vilma characterized Williams as fiery, aggressive
and often vulgar. Because of that persona, the linebacker said
he at first believed Williams was “crazy.”

Vilma was followed to the witness stand by Vitt. The
interim head coach hugged his player before beginning his own
testimony.

Vitt, who also faces a six-game suspension and a $100,000
fine for his role in the alleged bounty program, called Vilma
“a great player,” as integral to the team as quarterback Drew
Brees.

The interim coach said he met with Goodell for several
hours in appealing his own punishment. Vitt said he repeatedly
told Goodell the team “never crossed the line” or tried to
injure or “maim” opposing players.

“Were you aware of a pay-for-performance program among
defensive players?” the judge asked the Saints coach.

‘Fun-Based Performance’

“Yes,” Vitt said. “This has always been a fun-based
performance.”

Now in his 34th year in professional football, the Saints
coach described pay-for-performance as a practice in which
players put up money for various defensive plays that help the
team, such as a tipped ball resulting in an interception.

“A tackle is $50,” he said “Back in the old days it was
like $5.” He said a “whack” was a legal tackle and one that
forced a player out of the game is a “cart-off.”

If a player got a needless penalty, he could lose money for
a penalty that hurt the team, Vitt said. He said some NFL teams
gave color TV sets for defensive plays. “It was a way to have
fun,” Vitt said. “A ‘kangaroo’ court’ if you will.”

Shanle, a linebacker, told the court that Vilma, who
captained the Saints defensive unit, never encouraged teammates
to hurt their opponents.

“Those words would never come out of his mouth -- to go
out and intentionally injure somebody,” Shanle said.

Under cross-examination from NFL lawyer Gladstone Jones,
Shanle said there was a team pay-for-performance program that
included bonuses for knocking opponents out of the game.

The case is Vilma v. Goodell, 12-cv-1283, U.S. District
Court, Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans).